New Portland State Men’s Basketball Coach Barret Peery has completed his coaching staff for his first season on the Park Blocks. Peery has retained assistant coaches Jase Coburn and Chris Skinkis, while adding Kahil Fennell to the staff.
“I couldn’t be more excited about how the staff has come together,” said Peery. “I really feel like the guys we have on board fit me, fit Portland State and fit the culture that we want to have in our basketball program. Each of these coaches have fantastic skills sets that will blend very nicely with who I want us to become.”
Peery has known Coburn for more than a decade in the college coaching ranks. Coburn has remained at Portland State throughout the coaching transition and will be starting his fifth season with the Vikings. He is recognized for his recruiting acumen as well as coaching ability.
“With Jase, I get an experienced coach who I have known for a long time. We have several mutual friends who make it a great transition for me to understand who he is and what he is about. I think he is a fantastic teacher of the game and a relentless worker,” Peery said.
Skinkis actually worked with Peery previously, serving as one of his assistant coaches at Indian Hills (IA) Community College from 2011-14. Skinkis is beginning his second season at Portland State.
“Chris is a guy who has already been a part of my family on a different staff having worked for me three years in Iowa,” Peery said. “I know exactly what I am getting on and off the court. He is a guy who knows me as well as anyone and how I want to do things on a daily basis.”
Fennell is the new assistant on the staff, having worked previously at Texas-Permian Basin, a Division II program. He joined the Viking staff in early June.
“Kahil is obviously another great choice for us. He checks all the boxes in what I am looking for and will be another great piece to our staff as a coach, a recruiter and a representative of our program,” said Peery.
Peery was named Portland State’s Head Coach on April 10. He has been an assistant previously at Santa Clara, Arizona State, Utah, Portland State and Southern Utah (in reverse chronological order). Peery was Head Coach at College of Southern Idaho (2005-08) and Indian Hills CC (2011-14) compiling a 178-30 record.
Off-season workouts and recruiting have been the primary focus for Peery and his staff so far at Portland State. Peery has signed two players to national letters of intent, Deante Strickland and Devyn Wilson, as well as gotten to know the returning Vikings, which includes nine players.
“As we have hit the ground running with our staff, I have been thoroughly impressed with my three assistants,” said Peery. “Their work with the players on the court has been outstanding and I have really seen improvement with our guys over the first couple of months.”
The Vikings will open their 2017-18 season in November. Included on the schedule will be participation in the prestigious PK80 Tournament presented by State Farm at the Moda Center and Memorial Coliseum, as well as the 2018 Big Sky Conference schedule. A complete season schedule will be released later this summer.
